The Punjab government on Friday claimed that there was no shortage of urea fertiliser for the ongoing crop season, and asked the farmers not to be worried.

A spokesperson of the agriculture department said here that the state had 12.44 lakh metric tonne urea available and had supplied adequate stock to cooperative societies and private dealers across Punjab.(HT Photo )

The Punjab government on Friday claimed that there was no shortage of urea fertiliser for the ongoing crop season, and asked the farmers not to be worried.

A spokesperson of the agriculture department said here that the state had 12.44 lakh metric tonne urea available and had supplied adequate stock to cooperative societies and private dealers across Punjab. The total availability of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) was 3.84 lakh MT for the current Rabi season till January 11, he added.

He further said that the agriculture department’s focus was on timely sowing of wheat over 35 lakh hectares. The estimated production of wheat in the year 2015-16 is 168 lakh MT, as opposed to 150 lakh MT the previous year.

“In a major change in the supply of subsidised wheat seeds, the state has implemented direct benefit transfer scheme in the rabi season of 2015-16,” said the spokesperson, adding: “It has given 3 lakh eligible farmers Rs 1,000 per quintal each as subsidy by transferring the amount to their bank accounts. More than 70% of the beneficiaries are small and marginal farmers.